Fostering the waste management with environmental-resource interacting attribute

Abstract

Abstract Effective waste management is essential for achieving sustainability, yet challenges persist in resource recovery and mitigating environmental impacts. The environmental-resource interacting attribute framework quantifies these difficulties in waste processes, revealing attribute bias and guiding treatment pathway selection. Here we analyze twelve waste categories and reveal significant variability in recyclability and environmental impact. For instance, copper slag demonstrates a range of 25.25-285.46 bit−1 (the unit is the inverse of information entropy), indicating greater recyclability, while downcycling pathways exhibit the highest values (up to 285.46 bit−1), emphasizing resource recovery (up to 77.45° while degree indicates bias). It proposes a classification of waste based on environmental-resource interacting attribute values, prioritizing materials with high recovery potential to prevent irreversible losses. The framework offers insights into waste recyclability and environmental burdens, serving as an alternative tool for advancing waste management towards a circular economy and reducing carbon emissions.